...commends Board for Leading Role in Advocacy on Water and Sanitation

African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) President and Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt, Dr. Mohammed Bahaa el-Din Saad has commended the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board (UNSGAB)for its leading advocacyrole for water and sanitation in the developing world especially in Africa and for propelling positive action toward providing solutions for myriad challenges confronting humanity in these areas. Speaking at the Nairobi Nexus Dialogue on the Water, Food and Energy Nexus organized by UNSGAB November 29th 2012, the AMCOW President restated AMCOW’s resolve to elevate discourse and action on the nexus between water and economic growth to the level of political attention and implementation priority that has been accorded to drinking water and sanitation over the last ten years. “There is no doubt that to achieve this requires a high degree of collaboration and engagement between the water ministries and the ministries responsible for driving social and economic development such as ministries of finance, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, natural resources, and trade, alongside other stakeholders with wide institutional representation.” Dr Bahaa said.

The Chair of the UNSGAB Prince William of Orange acknowledged the leadership of the African Heads of States and the key role AMCOW has played in coordinating the various activities within the water sector. The UNSGAB committed to continued advocacy for the increased support to the continent for the attainment of the MDGs and in the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for Africa. The UNSGAB called for concerted effort in addressing sanitation and trans-boundary water resources management on account of their immense impact on health, socio-economic development and regional integration respectively.

The Dialogue which held during the 19th UNSGAB Meeting in Nairobi had as its objective the use of the platform to offer an opportunity for the exchange of experiences with relevant stakeholders with the aim of proffering solutions for nexus challenges in the East African Regional context.